National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1887-06-30

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Your
usual accuracy In historical matters made
your article on the late j. N. Buffum, OF
Massachusetts,, surprise TO some Of your
readers. Mr.. BufIum was, as you state,
real estate dealer, mayor, legislator, and
presidential elector. And, yet, the impli-
cations OF your article class him with
Henry @. Wright and Vim. l.. Garrison
II may be true that. he appeared at times
on the same platform with one OF these
gentlemen, and had the respect Of the
other, for the exigencies of modern life
bring together, both In public and private,
men Of the most widely different opinions.
But that he sympsthized with the peculiar
views of either Is Inconsistent with the facts
of his life. John A. Dix and VIM. l..
Yancey met on the came platform, but the
former would have shot the latter for pull
ing down the Union flag. Parnell, the
Irish statesman, and O'Donovan Rosa, the
d, Mantle exploder, both avow the same
object Powderly, the prudent aud wise
leader OF the Knights OF Labor, and Spies,
the nc. human government anarchist, both
claim to DO friends OF the working class.
How unjust to group Dix and Yancey,
Parnell and Rossa, Powderly and Spies !
1t is equally so to place Buffum by the
side Of II. G. Wright and Garrison, be ause
they agreed In condemning slavery.
Buffum believed In voting, holding Office,
civil government, the constitution. and the
Union.
II. G. Wright wrote that II by dropping
a bit Of paper into the ballot box ''he could
free all the slaves in this country he would
not do II and thereby sanction civil govern
ment.n (See his "Ballot Box aud Battle
Field" p. 11)
query is, Docs not the Bible sanction hu-
10 "a IN hn
Bible says our Creator ever authorized
human beings to dictate laws to their fell
lows and to punish those who dlsobey, the
Bible is Mistaken (See "Anthropology,"
| p. 69.)
Mr.. Garrison, in his no human govern
ment "Declaration, in September, 1S3S,ad-
| vocates non-resistance to foreign invasion or
assault upon ones person or family, de-
| nounces human government as upheld by
| physical strength, and says:
eve, therefore, voluntarily exclude our
| selves from every legislative aud judicial
body and repudiate all human politics,
worldly honors, and stations Of authority"
| (See "Garrison's Writings" p. ~
"Neitber can we elect others to act as
| our substitutes In any such capacity. "-Ib.
At the annual meeting OF Garrison's
| Anti-Slavery Society, in May, 1874, seces.
sion was formally avowed, dissolution OF
the Union adopted as the watchword of
| the faction, and the national constitution
was denounced as "covenant with death
and agreement with hell"
In Garrison's address at birmingham he
says: -.
ment. Let this covenant with death and
| agreement with hell" be annulled. Let
there be free, independent northern re-
| public" &c.
Having any republic at all was incou-
sistent with his notions Of no-human gov
eminent; but he didn't plume himself or
| his logic.
II the English language means anything,
Garrison was cessionist-qulte as much
80 as Calhoun or Yancey. Nobody can &C
quit bin Of this charge, unless, indeed, Sec
rotary Lamar will undertake his cause
After proving Calhoun good Union mar
he might prove as much for Garrison. But
to men not gifted with Mr.. Lamar's insigh
the opinions held by Calhoun were dis
unionist, and those held by Garrison were
also as nihilistic as any ever held In Russia
and as anarchistic as those Of Spies and Herr
Most.
Mr.. Buffum did not differ in opinion
from other Republicans. In regard to Mr.
Fred Douglass, who also is mentioned II
your article, 1t should not be forgotten
that, while he has ever maintained becom
ing attitude toward Mr.. Garrison, who frs
pressed his dissent from the peculiar view
Of that gentleman, drawing down upol
himself thereby torrent of reproach ant
invective.
1t may be well for writers Of the presen
day to bear in mind that the chasm between
the early political abolitionists and th
petty clique which followed Mr.. Garrison
was wider and deeper than that between
Republicans and George W. Curtis's lIttl
band Of Mugwumps. HIsToRIcUs.